A Cry To Help
by BusySoothsayer
Summary: Madzie cries out Alec's name in a panic and creates her own portal.


When the skies started to darken and the unnatural storm started, Catarina decided she had to leave the hospital early today. She loved her job as a mundane nurse in the busy NYC hospital and she was always one to volunteer for more work or to help out when the staff was low. But there was something going on in the Shadow world that gave her an uneasy feeling. Now that she was in charge of the care of a young traumatized warlock child, Catarina felt her responsibilities change. Madzie came first, even before her long-time friend Magnus Bane. Cat only felt a little guilty about that but Madzie had become first in her life.

It was discovered that Jace Herondale was the Owl and Magnus Bane was trying to help Alec and Isebelle Lightwood, Jace's adopted brother and sister, bring him back to himself. The problem was, the new High Warlock of Brooklyn, Lorenzo Rey, forbid any warlocks to help his old nemesis, Magnus. You see, Alec Lightwood was not only the Head of the New York Institute, he was also the boyfriend to one Magnus Bane. Lorenzo felt Alec disrespected him when he tried to get him to help but more importantly, Lorenzo hates Magnus and will do nothing to help him. He had even implied that he hopes that his boyfriend would die. That's how Magnus took it. So he fought him but didn't win. Lorenzo forbid any warlock to help Magnus or be banished from New York for ever.

As Cat entered her apartment, her babysitter Lucretia, a skinny warlock with a young mundane looking body and face, but long gray hair, came to the door to greet her. Lucretia only had one real talent as a warlock beside immortality; she excelled with all kinds of potions. As a mundane she was an excellent, calm childcare provider. That's why Cat hired her. She needed a kind, calming presence for Madzie after being used by Valentine and his reign of terror. She too is helping poor Madzie work through being manipulated to hurt and kill people just to get her Nana back. All lies told by Valentine to manipulate the almost six-year-old.

"Cat, I'm glad you decided to come home early" She said hurriedly. Lucretia gave a quick look to the living room where Madzie was playing with her dolls. "I just recently got her to calm down and play. She's been unsettled all day. Probably the unusual weather but…" just then a loud ominous crack rent the air outside. They both jumped at the noise and took a look out a window.

"The weather is getting crazy out there." Cat responded. "Let me make you a portal home." She reached in her purse and gave Lucretia some money.

Lucretia nodded and put out her hand and smiled at Cat gratefully. Lucretia may be a warlock but she could not create portals or do a lot of warlock magic. She could really only perform small spells and enchantments with the help of her potions. Lucretia, like all warlocks was immortal and forever looked thirty-nine but her talent lays with potion making and mundane adjusted living.

Cat closed the portal when Lucretia stepped through, then she went to the closet and hung up her things and went into the living room to watch Madzie play with her dolls. Cat smiled when she heard her foster daughter's 'doll' conversation. Like all children, Madzie named her dolls after people she knew. Loved ones named after people she cared for, hated ones named after people she despised. Cat found it cute but also a little sad. No little child should know such hate; not even a downworlder.

Madzie's best loved dolls were a pair of a males she called Alec and Magnus. They went on great adventures and fought off the bad demons and people. Of course she also had her Clary and Jace (Cat thinks that is who it's supposed to be because all of the other names get kind of jumbled) dolls along with several other ones with similar names. They were all gathered around the little play doll table and doll house that went with her toys. Madzie moved them, walked them, and talked for them without magic. Just being a normal little girl playing.

Suddenly, Madzie cries out in distress, "Alec, no!" The dolls went scattering every where and Cat quickly ran to the little girl. She just reached her and grabbed her left arm when she noticed that Madzie used her right arm to create a portal and started to run through it. Cat held on tight hoping the little girl was all right. Her one clear thought was how could someone so young create a portal to anywhere and not be stuck in limbo.

The portal opened into an almost abandoned wet alley and the pair ran out. "Alec!", Madzie yelled again and it was all Cat could do to keep up with the little girl running to a couple of people at the end of the alley.

As she got closer, Cat recognized Magnus as he bent over another figure with something sticking out of his chest. She kept hearing Madzie's distressed calls and realized what was happening. Cat had noticed that the unnatural storm was high in the sky and an unusual energy swirling over the top of several skyscrapers. This was not going to be a good night.

When she got to the pair, Madzie was already there trying to help the injured shadowhunter. Cat kneeled to the side opposite of Magnus and asked him, "What happened, why aren't you doing any…?"

"My magic, I traded it to break Jace free from the Owl..." he replied before she could finish her question. He looked distraught and kept looking at Alec with panic in his eyes. The tears gathered thickly when he look at Cat and begged, "Help me! Please?"

Madzie was already running magic over Alec trying to help him when Cat decided that the little girl needed instructions to help and not to be berated. She told her where to put her hands, how to direct her magic and to feel Alec's needs. Cat herself put her hands on Alec's chest, told him to relax and everything was going to be fine. She looked at Magnus and demanded his attention. He kept pleading with Alec to be okay and to leave him. Cat sharply yelled Magnus' name one more time, "Magnus! Snap out of it! On a count of three, I need you to pull the arrow out. We need to get that thing out of his heart!" Magnus looked at her and nodded his head in understanding. "Okay" she said, "one, two, three!" and Magnus pulled out the arrow and Cat ran her hands over the chest wound to hurry and stop any bleeding that may happen with the loss of the arrow that was plugging the wound.

About ten minutes went by when they finally had Alec stabilized enough to move him. Just as Cat stood up, wiped off the alley dirt on her scrubs, and opened a portal to Magnus' loft, a huge explosion rent New York and it rattled every building and structure. They avoided some debris and quickly grabbed Alec and ran inside. They put him in Magnus' bedroom where Madzie refused to leave him. Cat grabbed Magnus' arm and drew him to the living room and they looked out the window.

"What happened, Magnus?" She asked in concern. The city had temporary black-outs and flickering lights that didn't look like they would stop at any time.

"I don't know. I went to Edom to ask my father for help. He took my magic as payment so when I got to the alley, Jace and Alec had fought and Jace was stabbing him in the heart. I managed to break Lillith's hold on Jace and Jace ran to save Clary. He remembered that he was the one who gave her to Lillith..." Magnus started to break down and cry. Cat went over to him and pulled him into a crushing hug and let him cry his eyes out.

"It's okay, Baby, it will all work out." Using her best mom voice, Magnus eventually calmed down enough to thank her and Madzie.

"How did you know?" He asked after he let out all of his grief.

"Madzie", and Cat told him all about her strange behavior. Even the behavior Lucretia told her about.

Magnus went back to the window and looked out his mind a million miles away. "Do you think they'll be okay. I wasn't fast enough, I could have..." his guilt making his voice catch.

"Magnus, you have to stop this. This wasn't your fault. I should have helped..." Cat cried.

"No, you have Madzie to take care of…." he began.

"And you, too. You are my dear old friend." she sobbed. Magnus wrapped his arms around her.

"And Madzie is your child now. You couldn't risk banishment. Besides, Larenzo's an ass. He'll get his comeuppance." Magnus closes with assurance.

They realized that Madzie still had not come out from the bedroom and they go to find out if she is all right. The sight they see breaks their hearts. Madzie is laying next to Alec's right side with her hand on his bandaged heart. His broken arm was settled on his abdomen. His breathing came out in soft snores and snuffles. That made Magnus smile. Alec always denied snoring in his sleep.

Madzie was fast asleep but would not budge an inch to be removed from Alec's side. Cat and Magnus decided to let her be. After all, she had been so traumatized by feeling Alec's pain that the little girl risk limbo to go and help him. Magnus was showing Cat to another bedroom when there was frantic knocking on his door.

Magnus went to the door but Cat pulled him out of the way to answer it herself. He forgot, just for a second, that he could do nothing to protect them if anyone wanted to harm them. Of course they wouldn't have knocked but Cat insisted. She opened the door and Luke, Maryse, Izzy, Jace, and Simon plowed through. Both Simon and Jace looked traumatized and guilt ridden. Maryse didn't have time for their nonsense and went straight to the point.

"Is he here? Is he okay? Is…?" She spoke so fast and breathlessly it was almost hard to understand her.

"He is okay and resting in the bedroom." Cat replied. Before she was finished Maryse was all ready on her way to the room. "He needs to stay sleep. Don't wake him." Cat called to her.

Maryse opened the door and the sight stopped her in her tracks. Little Madzie was still cuddled to Alec in the same position as when Magnus and Cat left them. Magnus gently pulls Maryse into the living room where everyone was gathered and started explaining what happened after Jace left to go help Clary.

It was late at night (super early in the morning) and Magnus found places for everyone to try to sleep. He knew of two people who were awake and wallowing in guilt but he desperately needed to be with Alexander. So he bid good-night and went into his bedroom to be with the man he loved.

When Alec woke up, he found Magnus sound asleep on his broken side and Madzie on his right, with her hand still over his heart. He smiled at the little girl remembering her desperate successful attempt at helping him. Her eyes peaked open for a moment and he whispered, "You are my favorite little sorceress." She gave a little smile and went back to sleep. Alec chuckled lightly as to not wake up any of his guardian angels.

He knew things needed to be hashed out, trust rebuilt, guilt squashed, talking, etc. But for right now he was glad to be alive surrounded by the people who loved him and who he loved in return.


End file.
